This disclosure relates to document preparation and more particularly to utilizing multifunction devices to generate an output wherein scanned images of hardcopy documents are seamlessly integrated into electronic documents at selected insertion points.
Electronic printing systems typically include an input section with an image capture subsystem, a controller, sometimes referred to as an electronic subsystem and an output section or print engine. In several types of electronic printing systems, e.g. the Nuvera® 100/120 digital printing system, DocuTech® 65/75/90/135/6100/6115/6135/6155/6180 printing systems, DocuPrint® 100/115/135/155/180 EPS printing systems, DocuPrint® 65/75/90 printing systems and DocuColor® 2045/2060/6060/iGen3 printing systems manufactured by Xerox Corporation, a job can be input to the input section from, among other sources, a network or scanner.
When a scanner is employed to generate the job, image bearing documents are scanned so that the images therein are converted to image data for use in making prints or incorporation into an electronic document. When a network is used to generate the job, a stream of data, including various job related instructions and image data, expressed in terms of a page description language is captured, decomposed and stored for printing or other output. As is known, a network job can have its origin in a remote client, such a work station or PC, or a print server with a storage device. Jobs provided at the input section may be stored in a memory section, such as a disk drive.
Electronic printing systems, such as the Nuvera®, DocuTech®, DocuPrint® and DocuColor® electronic printing systems, are typically full featured, and various ones of the features provide one or more functions to be performed on the job. Such electronic printing systems are high volume printers that create images electronically. These versatile, high performance printing systems enable personal computers and other network-connected devices (such as workstations and graphic scanners) to produce documents incorporating graphics, forms, logos, signatures, and fonts for printing or other output. Such a printing system is often referred to as a multi-function device (“MFD”) and may utilize the scanner and print engine along with network and telephone connections to act as a copier, printer, facsimile machine and digital scanner. For example, a job captured at the input image section for storage may undergo a significant amount of image processing allowing for the minimization of image related artifacts and various electronic pages may be edited after the job has been suitably stored. Pursuant to outputting the stored job, a host of finishing operations, such as stapling, folding, and trimming may be performed on the hardcopy version of the job to optimize its appearance or the finished electronic document may be converted to an appropriate format for electronic transmission as a facsimile or for storage.
In view of the complexity of a given job, it may be desirable to “build” a job on a segment-by-segment basis. Often various parts of a job are merged through use of a job supplement mode. Through this mode, the job supplement function is used to append content to a job as it is being scanned into the printing system. That is, when the job supplement mode is engaged, any number of additional documents or groups of documents maybe scanned in with the job currently being scanned. Upon supplementing the job at the scanner, an END JOB icon is selected, and the supplemented job is stored in a memory section of the printing system.
Often a multi-segment print job is constructed from multiple local and remote sources on a network using a network interface to identify print job segments and locations of segments on the network. This is accomplished by entering a start build print job function at the network interface, identifying each segment of the print job including segment location, specifying print job characteristics such as quantity and quality for each segment, entering an end build print job function at the network interface, and identifying a printing device on the network, whereby each segment of the print job is accessed and distributed to the printing device to complete the multi-segment print job.
It will be further noted that completion of a job may, under certain circumstances be best delayed until a selected event occurs. A triggering event may constitute the provision of a resource that was not available at a previous time during which a subject job was being developed. A job is developed to an extent possible and then set aside in anticipation of a triggering event that is expected to occur at a future time. When the triggering event occurs, development of the job is completed and the job is stored in a memory section.
Under certain circumstances, however, the developer of a job may wish to complete a job well after a significant portion of the job has already been captured or structured electronically through a document generation program such as a word processing program. For example, the developer may, subsequent to the capture/structure phase, wish to process a portion of the job and/or supplement the job with additional images. Pepin et al., U.S. Pat. No. 6,151,131 discloses job development method for use in a document processing system with a subsystem for generating electronic representations of respective images from a set of image data in accordance with a set of control instructions. The set of control instructions includes a first subset of control instructions for controlling the development of a first image, a second subset of control instructions for controlling the development of a second image and a subset of image placemarking instructions. The approach allows a print job to be captured/structured and then supplemented with placeholding instructions, which placeholding instructions are used to complete development of the job at a time subsequent to the capture/structure phase.
The disclosed apparatus and method is particularly suited for use in a network environment, such as in the context of a Local Area Network (“LAN”), the world wide web, the internet or the like.
Often an author of a document wishes to incorporate images of hardcopy material into a finished document including electronically created text and images. In the past, the images of the hard copy material either had to be converted to electronic files and inserted into the electronic document at the desired location prior to electronically transferring the electronic document to a print device for printing or to another electronic transfer device such as a facsimile machine or had to be inserted through preprinted insert pages by a printer including an inserter finisher.
To get the desired output using the preprinted insert option, the user would have to specify in the print job to use ‘preprinted’ paper from specific trays. The user would need to produce enough copies of each image and load them in the respective trays. The user would then have to make sure no one else tried to print using these trays until the print job was completed. Alternatively, the user could modify the electronic document prior to its submission. The user would need to scan in each image and send it to the computer on which the document is being created and then manually merge or import it into the electronic document. Besides being time consuming, this importation approach limits reusing the original document if the inserted image is to be varied for different copies of the finished document. (e.g. photo of Ted for Ted's copy, a photo of Bob for Bob's copy).
According to one aspect of the disclosure a method of creating a finished document including an electronic document with images of a hardcopy document with a printing system including a print engine and a scanner is disclosed. The method includes creating the electronic document, identifying an insertion point in the electronic document wherein an image of the hardcopy document is to be placed in the finished document, sending the electronic document with the insertion point to a printing system, scanning the hardcopy document with the scanner of the printing system to create the image of the hardcopy document after the electronic document with the insertion point has been sent to the printing system, inserting the image in the electronic document at the insertion point to generate the finished document and outputting the finished document.
According to another aspect of the disclosure a document generation system includes a printing system and a computer. The printing system includes a print engine, a scanner, a controller and a user interface. The computer is remotely located from but coupled to the printing system. The computer includes software for generating an electronic document and software for designating an insertion point in the electronic document wherein a scanned image of a hardcopy document is to be inserted prior to generating a finished document including the electronic document and an image of the scanned hardcopy document. The controller includes software for identifying the insertion point and for holding the electronic document until the hardcopy document is scanned before generating the finished document including the electronic document and the image of the scanned hardcopy document.
According to yet another aspect of the disclosure, a document printing system for electrostatograhically printing a finished document comprises a printing system and a computer. The printing system includes an electrostatographic print engine, a scanner, a controller and a user interface. The computer is remotely located from but coupled to the printing system. The computer includes software for generating an electronic document and software for designating an insertion point in the electronic document wherein a scanned image of a hardcopy document is to be inserted prior to generating a finished document including the electronic document and an image of the scanned hardcopy document inserted at the insertion point. The controller includes software for identifying the insertion point and for holding the electronic document until the hardcopy document is scanned before electrostatographically printing the finished document including the electronic document and the image of the scanned hardcopy document inserted at the insertion point.
Additional features and advantages of the presently disclosed method and device for intermixing hardcopy images in a print job will become apparent to those skilled in the art upon consideration of the following detailed description of embodiments exemplifying the best mode of carrying out the disclosed method and apparatus as presently perceived.
Corresponding reference characters indicate corresponding parts throughout the several views. Like reference characters tend to indicate like parts throughout the several views.